Non-Subscriber Extract
South Korea seeks improved stand-off weapon for F-15Ks
By Robert Hewson
11 February 2008
South Korea is looking to acquire a new airborne stand-off weapon to increase the land-attack reach of its Boeing F-15K strike fighters, Jane's has learned.
The country's current fleet of F-15Ks is equipped with Boeing's AGM-84L Stand-off Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) in a unique configuration that provides a baseline long-range attack capability.
According to a senior United States industry source, South Korea will issue a competitive request for proposals (RfP) later this year for a new weapon that outperforms the SLAM-ER.
"[South] Korea wants an improved stand-off capability for its F-15Ks and will issue an RfP to a number of candidates worldwide. The SLAM-ER was adopted because it was a Boeing solution that was available quickly to equip a Boeing platform, but now [South] Korea wants an expanded capability with a second system," Jane's was told.
Image: The first Boeing F-15K strike fighter for South Korea during its first flight in March 2005 (Boeing)